Tony Stark has been missing for six months, but Resilient is thriving, rapidly moving from cars and clean energy, to other visonary ideas - both urban renewal and information technology via nanobot swarm data storage. Wyche walks with a cane after Spymaster's attack, Tim is recovering and even dating again, sparking the team's curiosity.

In Gobroon, Justine Hammer calls her Detroit Steel Corps home, leaving the dictator to the angry masses. Babbage calls her from the Pentagon to inform her the security contract is cancelled. She insists Hammer and Detroit Steel Corps is the glue holding the sketchy parts of the world together, but Babbage has finally realized the criminal he has been dealing with. He hangs up, and eyes the gun on his desk.

Vibro is busting some inmates out of a maximum security prison, but a confident and cheeky Iron Man is on the scene. Vibro causes two inmates to fall into a trench, but Rescue arrives to grab them in time. Pepper presents herself as the CEO of Resilient, owner of the Iron Man brand, name and likeness, and demands to know who he is - Rhodey answers that he's a big fan and flies off.

Tony is in the Mandarin's office, plainly stating that to build him the Titanomechs, he will need specific materials and tools, and as he does not have them, it isn't going to happen. The Mandarin attacks him for being disrespectful. Tony says that he's sure those mental ring attacks are going to start causing brain damage soon. The guards drag him out, but he leaves the material list behind. Back in the lab, Ezekiel Stane is having difficulty finding words, he seems to already be quite brain damaged. Tony comforts him and tells him to go get some rest.

Justine tells Sasha that Babbage shot himself, but she figures if they blame it all on him and lay low, they can trust the Mandarin and Stane to continue plans. Sasha refuses to trust Stane, despite making it all possible for Hammer and Mandarin, he isn't even picking up his phone anymore.

In the Mandarin's barracks, Tony helps Zeke eat and reads the paper to him. The Melter attempts to humiliate him for hanging out with the retard, but Tony isn't afraid of any of the, what, 17 Melters he has faced by now. He easily overpowers the kid, who starts using powers to fight back. As this is against the rules, the Mandarin remotely decides to start setting off the bomb inside him. Tony shouts for the Mandarin to stop, then manages to disable the bomb by emitting an unfocused burst of energy from his chest repulsor. Security arrive to beat the hell out of Tony. He is locked in a special vest to prevent him from using the repulsor node, and if it happens to come off they'll kill Zeke first. Tony seems to have difficulty speaking as well. He suggests they use the downtime before the Titanomech materials arrive to 'fix' Zeke.

Notes

This issue is reprinted in the trade Invincible Iron Man: The Future.

Solicit Synopsis:

• THE FUTURE begins here:

• A prisoner of MANDARIN CITY!

• Can Rescue, IM2.0, and War Machine team up and not kill one another while Tony Stark builds the Mandarin’s ultimate weapon?